Issue with PArallel Axis pickups: microphonic?

Firebrand

New member
Over a year ago I ordered a PA-TB1b and PA-STK1n based on reviews and audio clips.
I finally had the guitar finished and installed the pickups. At first I thought I had wired them Wrong as I could hear what sounded microphonic from both pickups. I ruled out my tube amp (Reverend Hellhound) as the issue when my other 6 guitars sounded “normal”.
Fast forward today: I just picked it up after having a Luthier pull and completely rewire the guitar in question. I am using a three-way switch and a 500K CTS volume pot from Fender. We tried it through his test set up, a Ampeg reverb rocket and Fulltone GT500 after he rewired it. The noise floor was lower but the pick ups still had the same issue of being microphonic. Do these pick ups need some kind of additional in-line capacitor to help with this issue? Would it be better if I just installed a tone pot as well and just left it underneath the pick guard?
Part of the issue could be, though I don’t think it likely, could be that I am using a clear pick guard and there is no shielding on top of it. As the issue at hand is not 60 cycle hum
But a microphonic quality in the pickups like a bad tube when you tap them. They also feedback like crazy. The Luthier even went as far as to repaint the interior cavity with shielding paint and added extra shielding wrapping around the pick up cables.
 
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Re: Issue with PArallel Axis pickups: microphonic?

The pickguard could indeed be the culprit. Microphonics is almost always mechanical movement......covered humbuckers for example need the cover dampened, Tele bridges have the same issue when they are not screwed down securely enough. For potted open coil humbuckers to feed back microphonically you need some other source of vibration other than the pickup itself.
 
Re: Issue with PArallel Axis pickups: microphonic?

ive only had a few patb pups over the years but none of them were microphonic
 
Re: Issue with PArallel Axis pickups: microphonic?

I haven't heard of microphonic problems with them specifically. So I wonder what is going on. This could happen if the pickups were sitting around for awhile before install and got close to a heat source, I suppose. Have you tested with other pickups, or is it just these? And is it both of them, or just one?
 
Re: Issue with PArallel Axis pickups: microphonic?

If they were microphonic, a cap or tone control under the pickguard isn't going to do anything to stop it.
 
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